Another Bridge In Bihar Caves In, 4th Incident In 10 Days

Patna: Much to the discomfort of the state government, a fourth bridge came down in Bihar in a span of 10 days.

This time, the mishap took place in Kishanganj district when a 70-metre bridge over a tributary of Kankai river caved in.

No one was injured, but connectivity between Bahadurganj and Dighalbank blocks have been affected.

According to local officials, water level of the river had gone up beyond normal, and some of the pillars in the middle of the bridge sunk about a couple of feet due to strong currents.

Videos and images, which were widely circulated on social media, showed the middle part of the bridge sagging and almost touching the river.

There were concerns that the bridge could disintegrate any time.

Bahadurganj police station chief Abhinav Parasar and his team reached the spot and barricaded the area at both ends, so that no one takes the risk of trying to cross the bridge on any vehicle.

The state Road Department is investigating the cave-in.

According to District Magistrate Tushar Singla, the bridge over Madiya, a small tributary that connects Kankai river to the Mahananda, was built in 2011.

“Heavy rainfall in the catchment area in Nepal has led to a sudden rise in the water level. One of the pillars of the bridge could not withstand the strong current,” PTI quoted him as saying.

The previous bridge mishaps earlier this month took place in East Champaran, Siwan and Araria districts.